


Intricacies of War

by TypoShifter (Weezelness)



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Character Study, Everything is a Double Edged Sword, Experimental Style, Gen, Present Tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 18:47:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19025782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weezelness/pseuds/TypoShifter
Summary: Catra is the leader of Horde defects. They call themselves the Renegade and they ally with the Rebellion in hopes of defeating Hordak. However, can that conjoined goal bridge the gap in their personal views?





	Intricacies of War

Adora had never seen Catra so focused before.  
  
It was always Adora that had that attribute. Adora was the good cadet, after all. Adora was the hard worker. Adora was the special one. Adora was the talented one. Adora was the promising one.  
  
Adora was the one staring when Catra looked up at her, one eye freezing her thoughts and the other burning them away like dainty strips of paper.  
  
“What do you want?” Catra asks. Her brows furrow into a knotted valley on her forehead, and Adora’s heart twists itself like a painful pretzel.  
  
“We’re just checking things out, you know. Making sure you guys don’t need anything from the Rebellion’s side of things.” Bow is quick to intervene when he sees Adora’s look. He pushes between the two with one of his trademark smiles. “We’re always happy to help.”  
  
Scorpia counters with one of her’s as well, getting up from her seat by one of Entrapta’s computer screens. “And we always appreciate that. You guys are so nice.” The atmosphere around the two warms into a halo of friendly flowers and happy rainbows. Catra draws away from them with a roll of her eyes, going back to the papers that scatter across her desk.  
  
Entrapta’s whole lab is lit with green, as lines upon lines upon lines of code inch upward all around the three ex-Horde members. Her fingers fly fast across the keyboards, and it’s clickety-clack is occasionally interrupted by the beeps of machinery. A fan whirs to life somewhere in the pits of the dark room, and Adora marvels at their efficiency despite the suffocating atmosphere.  
  
Scorpia still talks with Bow about the Rebellion and the smaller, newer contingent, the Renegade. Glimmer’s face is forcefully bored, but the underlying irritation is obvious. Her trust in the environment (and the company) is tenuous at best, but Adora can’t help feeling like she’s come home.  
  
Freshly absconded, the ex-Horde soldiers still carry the habits that drilled into them. In their new world of freedom, they ran to the comfort of familiarity. They quickly erected a hierarchy of leadership, they filed back into ranks, and although golden banners with a blue cat’s eye flapped proudly across Dryl Castle’s ramparts, they mimicked much of the Horde’s training. Queen Angella had feared this troop would prove to be a new opponent, but Catra, along with Scorpia and Entrapta, had bent the knee for sanctuary and support, pardons for the members of the new militia, and the opportunity to dethrone Hordak once and for all.  
  
That was only a few short months ago, and the Renegade had already proven itself invaluable. Intel and reconnaissance, with spies abounding, the Renegade had manipulated the Horde on more than one occasion.  
  
And the brains of the entire operation scanned graphs and tables, battle statistics and logistical reports, aided by her night vision, right in front of Adora, her oldest friend, and greatest enemy.  
  
“We don’t need anything,” she stated, her voice severe and flat, “but I did want to talk about something.”  
  
Scorpia seems to flinch. She knows the topic on Catra’s mind, and her obvious discomfort is an immediate red flag. Glimmer strides forward with her fists clenched, and her head held high.  
  
Catra passes her a manila folder.  
  
“Why do you have a map of Basillia?” Glimmer asks.  
  
“Better question; why is there even a Basillia.”  
  
Glimmer’s face scrunches. Her facade of indifference evaporates like a droplet on a hot stove. “I don’t know what you mean.”  
  
“It’s a civilian installation with no protection. It’s like you’re asking for a slaughter.”  
  
“They keep to themselves, and they’re far into Bright Moon territory. Not to mention, even as civilians, they’re strong and proud.”  
  
“Then why aren’t they drafted into your armies? They’re wasted resources.”  
  
Glimmer takes in a deep breathe and speaks slow. “They don’t want to be in the armies. They want to stay as civilians.”  
  
Catra mimics her motions and speech pattern. “They are going to die,” she says, exaggerating her articulations. Catra stands in front of Glimmer, and their natural height difference is in Catra’s favor. “They’ve been ignored because conquering them would have been pointless. They had nothing to offer on either side, but the war is almost over and guess who’s on the losing end? Only the most vindictive man in all of Etheria. He might strike this place just because it’s there and vulnerable.” Her look is cold, matching Glimmer’s fire.  
  
“Those are their homes. Some have lived there for generations. We aren’t going to needlessly evacuate our people for a threat that may not even happen.”  
  
Bow steps by Glimmer with his palms out, imploring. “Not that I don’t see your point, but we can’t just force them to do what they don’t want to.”  
  
Catra scoffs. She turns on her heels, her tail trailing behind her in a tight arc and reaches for another folder. She tosses it at them, and the contents escape into a firework of white sheets. They descend slowly, each word and number illuminated by electric green.  
  
Adora doesn’t realize when her body crouches to a ready offensive, but her hand touches the cold metal of her sword’s hilt in an instant.  
  
“Look at your numbers. You could have won this fight a long time ago. If you only condensed your forces and funneled them into an attack, this conversation wouldn’t be necessary.”  
  
Glimmer takes a challenging step forward, and one of her fists rises from her side. The temptation to hit Catra runs adrenaline through her bloodstream, and any leeway for reasonable conversation had long departed. Both sides are in full defensive, ears closed to the other’s reasoning. “Our forces are deployed to defend our people. That’s their priority. That’s our priority.”  
  
“Then you’re dumber than you look. Your priority should have been winning this war.”  
  
“We aren’t going to compromise our morals just because you want to win.”  
  
“Yeah? Well, then your morals are killing people!”  
  
“And you’re not? Don’t yell at us for trying to defend people because your main objective was hurting them.”  
  
“At least I was always honest. I knew what I was doing, and I knew what I was, but you guys have no clue, do you?”  
  
They were very close. Catra’s breath felt minty cool from a candy Entrapta had given them earlier that day, and Glimmer’s smelled of vanilla from the lunch they’d eaten before they marched into Entrapta’s castle maze.  
  
“And what exactly do you know that we don’t?”  
  
Catra’s expression changes into a malicious smile. “In case you haven’t noticed, the longer this war keeps going, the more chances you give the Horde to attack, and the only reason they have those chances is your idiotic need to ‘be the good guys.’” Catra scoffs. “And, none of you even notice because whenever your bleeding hearts hold back in the name of honor, it’s not you that gets hurt. That’s what I know that you don’t seem to get, Shim-sham.”  
  
Catra’s words bring Entrapta’s typing to a stop, and even the computer fan has grown silent. Bow and Scorpia hold their breath.  
  
Glimmer looks like she’s ready to explode.  
  
“That’s enough, Catra.” Adora’s voice breaks the silence.  
  
“Why?”  
  
She stands tall and steady, ready to come to Glimmer’s defense, but her wellspring of words seems to have dried in her throat.  
  
Scorpia appears in Adora’s vision, her face droops with concern, and she places a claw on Catra’s shoulder. Something loosens in Catra’s posture, and she steps back.  
  
Adora notes how easily Scorpia had quelled Catra’s rage, and she envies her. The emotions surprise Adora, but Scorpia doesn’t allow her time to contemplate.  
  
The clawed woman turns to the three Rebellion fighters. “Maybe it’s better if you guys leave for a little bit.”  
  
“We’re not going anywhere.” Glimmer challenges, much to Adora and Bow’s bafflement. “The Renegade is part of the Rebellion, and I have a right to see the inner workings of its operation.”  
  
The embers of Catra’s emotions were still smoldering, and Glimmer’s words were exactly what it needed to strike back into magnificent flames. “You know what…I don’t think we are anymore.”  
  
“Wait, I think Scorpia is right. We all need to take a breather.” Bow’s soothing tone is undermined by his clear panic. “Glimmer didn’t mean it.”  
  
Catra crosses her arms. “Entrapta, what’s the merit of staying with the Rebellion?”  
  
The purple haired scientist bounces from her feet to her ponytails, heedless of the anticipation for the answer, and she takes her time, humming in thought. “According to the statistics from excursions gathered in the last few months, their contribution is significantly less than expected.”  
  
The blood in Adora’s veins freeze.  
  
Catra smirks, her voice turning into a husky rumble. “We’ll take Hordak down ourselves. We’ve already got all of the Horde’s best, and it seems like the Rebellion is too caught up in itself to be useful.”  
  
“Catra, wait.” Adora reaches forward. She didn’t know what she wanted Catra to wait for, but she reaches anyway and grabs hold of Catra’s slim wrist. The smooth skin is familiar, and the light grip she uses is familiar. Time has passed, but they’ve been in such a position many many times before. When she looks up, Adora hopes that she can play her part well enough to convince Catra to play hers.  
  
The two-toned eyes narrow at her and Catra tears her arm free. “Go be useless with your friends somewhere else, Adora.”  
  
The words are acidic, and they slap Adora in the face.  
  
“Scorpia, will you show the Rebellion fighters out, please. I’m tired of looking at them.”  
  
“No! Please, Catra!” Her words fall on deaf ears as Scorpia tosses them into the hall. The metallic door shuts behind her with a sharp cling, and they’re picked up by giant robots that roughly escort them outside. The Renegade soldiers look at them strangely as they pass, their brows raised in question. They must have looked horrible. Adora felt downtrodden for sure. She curls into herself with her arms tightly gripping each other. She’s hugging herself even as Bow throws his arm around her. Glimmer stomps around like an angry ox while tears mar her soft face. Red is already inching in on her white sclera, and neither of them quite understand what she’s saying.  
  
When Bow tries calming her down, Adora looks up at a tall spire that constantly spills green light from the inside.  
  
Adora had never seen Catra so confident before.  
  
It was always Adora that had that attribute. Adora was the good cadet, after all. Adora was the hard worker. Adora was the special one. Adora was the talented one. Adora was the promising one.  
  
Adora was the one in the dirt, missing her best friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> I decided to take a break from Tales From Beast Island. This idea would not leave me alone. I wanted an interaction between the Super Pal Trio and the Best Friend Squad. Ideally, I wanted them to be happy, but my brain went on complete autopilot, and I just...angst. Angst everywhere.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know what you think.


End file.
